How To Develop Software Faster

Matthew Heusser and Sean McMillan are convinced that it takes smart people to develop good software that makes money. Where do you find smart people? You don't find them; you make them! Matt and Sean provide some fundamental rules for doing just that.

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The Fundamental Argument

In the business world, there is one reason to develop software: It makes
money. Software companies create software to generate sales revenue; IT shops
write software to enable sales or reduce expenses. Software is an
investment—the company spends money now to make more money later.

It stands to reason that developing software faster means more value
delivered to the company, which makes the company more competitive and more
profitable. Increased profitability should mean bonuses, promotions, company
growth, better careers, and happier lives. While the world isn’t perfect,
the logic works in general—Google and other Internet darlings offer
incredible salaries, while flailing companies are offering severance
packages.

In this competitive economy, developing software faster is not a "nice
to have"; it’s a "must have." Yet, beyond the
occasional exhortation to work harder, this idea gets little attention. Speeding
up requires addressing two major areas: process and velocity.